El Máster Edwin

George will win his 88th cap and captain England for the third time on Saturday England captain Jamie George says Saturday's Six Nations game against Scotland will be a "special one" following the death of his mother. The hooker's mother, Jane, died last week but George has decided to play because she "would have wanted me to". "I am so lucky that we have a great group of people here," he told Rugby Union Daily. "It is going to be special with the rest of my family in the stands. My parents never missed a game." The Saracens hooker, 33, was named England captain before the Six Nations following Owen Farrell's decision to step away. "Sadly she never saw me captain England because she was too ill to be there but every other game she was there," he added. "Many of the highlights of her life were watching me play rugby for England and it will be amazing to do that again on Saturday. "Mum was probably the biggest England rugby fan there could ever be and I take great joy that she had a lot of happiness following me around the world. "She loved the boys, she loved watching me play and I want to continue making her proud." George, who participated in an open training session at Twickenham two days after his mum's death, paid tribute to England head coach Steve Borthwick and his team-mates for their support. "It was important for me and my family that I came back into camp and to put my best foot forward and be involved," added George. "If I can take one bit of confidence over the last nine or 10 days, it is that if we look after people the way the lads have looked after me, that is a sign of a really positive team. "It's been incredible. From Steve and the doctor here, and also the boys, they have given me time and space when I have needed it, checking in with me pretty much every day to see how I am. They have been amazing." Link

Like a classic A220 that's fallen through a hole in the space-time continuum, meet Zagato's stunning new limited edition Famed Italian coach-builder Zagato definitely had a thing for a shapely posterior. Check out the Alfa Romeo TZ1, Aston Martin DB4 GT, and Lancia Fulvia Sport, to name but three. Rooted in lightweighting and aeronautics, Zagato later went through a more geometric and less overly curvy phase, but has survived where many other mellifluous-sounding carrozzerie have slipped off to the great fabricating workshop in the sky. Now let your eyes wander all over this latest Zagato creation, a car on which the focus is most definitely on what’s happening at the rear. More than usual, it turns out. This is the AGTZ Twin Tail, and the clue is in the name. Spring for one of these and you’ll get yourself a car with not one but two different rear bodywork configurations – a short tail and a long one. The long one can be attached or removed, and Zagato will supply a custom-made stand for the tail when it’s not on the car. Voila! A piece of Franco-Italian garage sculpture. Has anyone ever done this before? Not that we can recall. If you reckon the Twin Tail’s roots are in motor racing, you reckon right. Beneath that extrovert body lies the chassis and mechanicals of the Alpine A110, one of TopGear.com’s favourite cars, and a masterpiece of contemporary lightweight engineering. It’s an inspired basis for a new low-volume coachbuilt special, if you think about it, but the back story is where the motorsport angle comes in. Jean Rédélé’s original Alpine A110, we know, was a highly successful competition car, culminating in a world rally constructors’ championship in 1971. But in parallel Alpine manufactured a series of less well-remembered sports racing cars whose finest hour – or should that be 24 hours? – came at Le Mans in 1966 when the A210 won the ‘Efficiency Index’. These elfin 1.3-litre beauties finished ninth, 11th, 12th, and 13th overall, and made a little go a long, long way. (That, of course, was the Le Mans in which Ford’s GT40 famously trounced Ferrari. They definitely used more fuel.) Unfortunately, the V8-engined Alpine A220 that followed in ’68 failed to capitalise on the new formula that mandated reduced engine capacities; only one of the four cars finished at Le Mans. 1969 was no better, but it led to an experimental ‘short tail’ version that was prettier and more competitive. We say experimental; we suspect that Alpine’s guys simply got busy with an angle-grinder. That was chassis no.1731, and it did its best work on rally stages and hill-climbs. In all eight A220s were built, and only four survive. So this is a very rare groove machine indeed, and a true connoisseur’s car. Which kinda makes the new Zagato even more fascinating. Their creations are reliably provocative and the AGTZ is no exception. Although we love the donor car’s skilful update of the lissom little A110, this is next level. And while it clearly plunders the past for its inspiration, it somehow manages to look futuristic at the same time, like the A220 has fallen through a hole in the space-time continuum. (Perhaps it encountered McLaren’s Speedtail in there, who knows.) There are big, expressive headlights, blisters over the front and rear wheelarches, and a visor-like glasshouse. A side air intake slash that the regular A110 doesn’t have adds a more graphic element, and there’s a completely remodelled rear end – in short and long guise. Zagato’s signature double bubble roof is present and correct. Trapezoidal rear lights, a new diffuser, and central exhaust complete the picture. Every panel is bespoke, and the Twin Tail’s body is made entirely of carbon fibre. The short tail version measures 4305mm in overall length, the long tail 4802mm (622mm more than the regular A110). Zagato says the new AGTZ has improved aerodynamics, in keeping with the company’s past achievements. (Back in the day, long before CAD and with no access to a wind tunnel, Zagato’s chief designer and the engineers conducted their aero tests by hammering up and down the autostrada first thing in the morning.) The AGTZ’s tail is as light as its creators could possibly make it so it can be fitted and then removed as easily as possible. We need to check that out in person. There’s no news yet on interior or mechanical upgrades, but we confidently predict a package of upgrades to the Alpine’s 1.8-litre turbo engine. The design team is led by Zagato’s long-standing creative chief, Norihiko Harada, and it’s worth noting that the car’s personality can be altered not just by the addition of that elongated tail but also a formidable selection of stickers, stripes and other Sixties-inspired logos and graphics. “Nori Harada has been working with me for almost 30 years,” CEO Andrea Zagato tells TG. “By having the same chief designer for such a long time, Zagato has achieved a remarkable design consistency. That’s crucial to our success. "The fact that he’s been living in Italy since his thirties makes him an Italian designer with a Japanese mindset. Actually, his first degree was in Oriental philosophy. So he thinks like a philosopher, he thinks vertically. The Japanese don’t look at the target, they look at the process. Whereas Italian design is horizontal, and we live and love the imperfections.” Alpine, of course, is heading off on a completely different path, and while the company’s design director, Antony Villain, has apparently given the car his blessing, this is not an officially endorsed Alpine project. Another twist in this tale is that the AGTZ marks the continuing elevation of ambitious Polish high end car dealer and scenester, La Squadra, whose idea this project was. An impressive operation that distributes Alpine, Bugatti, Ferrari, Koenigsegg, Maserati, and Pagani in the territory, a strong pivot to the more experiential side of retail has helped burnish La Squadra’s reputation. Amongst other achievements, Ferrari selected it as its top dealer worldwide in 2022, not an accolade Maranello dishes out lightly. La Squadra will handle all the sales and marketing for the new collab with Zagato, which will fabricate the AGTZ in its Milan atelier. “There’s a rebel inside all of us that pushes us to do the opposite of what we’re being told to do,” La Squadra’s CEO Jakub Pietrzak tells TG. “So that’s why we’re looking for these automotive dramas from the past. We take a certain romanticism from the past and with advancing technology we are becoming increasingly nostalgic. The Sixties was an intense decade, especially when it came to endurance racing, and a great source of inspiration. "Electrification means it will be harder to differentiate products in terms of performance and driving stimuli. Design will take on greater significance. I think it’ll create opportunities for artisan coachbuilders to step onto the main stage.” So, to the nitty gritty. Prices for the AGTZ Twin Tail start at €650k so it’s not cheap. But only 19 will be made, and a handful have already been spoken for – with some very interesting names on the client list. Zagato aficionados are a knowledgeable and dedicated bunch, and the new car is clever and novel, as well as delivering the required extroversion. “More than 60 years after the introduction of the Giulia with the Kamm tail, I was keen to work again on what was one of Zagato’s main themes: the aerodynamic tail,” Andrea Zagato tells TG. “Round or truncated, long or short, the provocation here is to have both on the same car. "Of course, after 120 years of the automobile, almost everything has been experienced and made. Nevertheless, this was an indispensable opportunity for us to have the chance to provoke again on aesthetics and proportion – especially today when all cars look almost the same. Everyone connects Zagato with the double bubble roof and the tail treatment. I wanted to revisit that and do it on a car with a motorsport inspiration.” Link

An official with the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife said the group of five cyclists was in the "wrong place" at the "wrong time." A group of cyclists east of Seattle fended off cougar in a rare attack over the weekend that left a woman with injuries to her neck and face, authorities said. The injured cyclist, identified by the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife as an adult woman, was in stable condition. The animal attacked the woman, who was riding in a group of five cyclists, on Saturday shortly before 1 p.m. near Fall City, about 25 miles east of Seattle, the department said in a news release. “They did struggle with this animal,” Carlo Pace, an officer with the Department of Fish and Wildlife, told NBC affiliate KING-TV of Seattle. “They did fight back. If it wasn’t for these people the lady that was attacked would be in much worse shape.” The group was riding near a creek that Pace described as the animal's "natural place" to follow prey. “These bicyclists happened to be in that place,” Pace added. “Wrong place, wrong time.” The animals typically stay away from people, he said. In the last century, there have been 22 cougar attacks in Washington State, including two that were fatal, the station reported. The department said officers “removed” a 75-pound cougar from the scene. The release did not provide more details about the animal or its death but noted the animal's body was being sent to a local university lab for examination. The department expects to learn the cougar's age, body condition and whether it had a disease, the release said. Witnesses in the area saw a second cougar run through the scene, the department said. Officers failed to locate the animal during a search. Link

President Joe Biden called the Alabama Supreme Court's ruling “a direct result of the overturning of Roe v. Wade." The campaign of President Joe Biden, pictured at the Diplomatic Reception Room of the White House on Feb. 8, is blaming Donald Trump and his supporters for the Alabama Supreme Court's decision on in vitro fertilization. President Joe Biden on Thursday ripped into the Alabama Supreme Court’s recent decision on in vitro fertilization as Vice President Kamala Harris and their campaign cast blame on former President Donald Trump for rolling back abortion rights with his appointments of conservatives to the U.S. Supreme Court. In a statement Thursday afternoon, Biden condemned the Alabama high court's ruling, calling it a “direct result” of the U.S. Supreme Court’s 2022 decision to overturn Roe v. Wade. The state court's ruling prompted the University of Alabama at Birmingham to pause IVF treatments. “Today, in 2024 in America, women are being turned away from emergency rooms and forced to travel hundreds of miles for health care, while doctors fear prosecution for providing an abortion. And now, a court in Alabama put access to some fertility treatments at risk for families who are desperately trying to get pregnant,” Biden said. “The disregard for women’s ability to make these decisions for themselves and their families is outrageous and unacceptable.” The president said he and Vice President Kamala Harris are committed to fighting for reproductive rights and “won’t stop until we restore the protections of Roe v. Wade in federal law for all women in every state.” At a roundtable event on abortion access in Grand Rapids, Michigan, on Thursday, Harris also criticized the Alabama ruling and blamed Trump. "On the one hand, the proponents are saying that an individual doesn’t have a right to end an unwanted pregnancy and on the other hand, the individual does not have a right to start a family," she said. "Ask who's to blame," she added later. "And I'll answer that question: When you look at the fact that the previous president of the United States was clear in his intention to hand-pick three Supreme Court justices who would overturn the protections of Roe v. Wade. And he did it. And that's what got us to this point today." Biden's re-election campaign also directly blamed Trump for the state court's ruling, citing the conservative justices he appointed to the Supreme Court. “What is happening in Alabama right now is only possible because Donald Trump’s Supreme Court justices overturned Roe v. Wade,” Biden campaign manager Julie Chavez Rodriguez said in a Thursday morning statement. “Across the nation, MAGA Republicans are inserting themselves into the most personal decisions a family can make, from contraception to IVF.” “With their latest attack on reproductive freedom, these so-called pro-life Republicans are preventing loving couples from growing their families,” she added. “If Donald Trump is elected, there is no question that he will impose his extreme anti-freedom agenda on the entire country.” The Trump campaign did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The Alabama Supreme Court ruled that embryos created through IVF are children under state law, prompting legal concerns among doctors and patients over unused embryos that get discarded in the process. The University of Alabama at Birmingham announced Wednesday that it would stop IVF treatments in light of the high court’s ruling, citing possible legal repercussions as a result of the decision. “We are saddened that this will impact our patients’ attempt to have a baby through IVF, but we must evaluate the potential that our patients and our physicians could be prosecuted criminally or face punitive damages for following the standard of care for IVF treatments,” a university spokesperson said in a statement. Democrats, including Harris, have voiced their opposition to the Alabama Supreme Court’s ruling, decrying it as another threat to reproductive rights after the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade in 2022. “This decision is outrageous—and it is already robbing women of the freedom to decide when and how to build a family,” Harris said in a post to X, formerly known as Twitter, on Wednesday. Republican presidential candidate Nikki Haley, however, sided with the Alabama Supreme Court’s IVF ruling in an interview with NBC News on Wednesday, saying that frozen embryos created through IVF are “babies” when asked whether she agrees with the court’s ruling stating that embryos created through IVF are considered children and are offered those same protections. “Embryos, to me, are babies,” Haley told NBC News. “When you talk about an embryo, you are talking about, to me, that’s a life. And so I do see where that’s coming from when they talk about that.” Haley, however, later backpedaled, saying that her personal position is that embryos are babies while claiming she didn’t say she agreed with the Alabama Supreme Court ruling. “I didn’t say that I agreed with the Alabama ruling,” Haley said in an interview on CNN on Wednesday night. Haley went on to argue that the goal of medical providers should be to “always do what the parents want with their embryo — it is theirs,” adding, “So any physician that is in control of those embryos, they owe it to those people to make sure they protect that embryo and that they do with that embryo what those parents want done with that embryo.” Link

Couple Luke Davies and Jesse Baird have not been seen since Monday Police say they have "grave concerns" over a TV presenter and his boyfriend who disappeared in Sydney in suspicious circumstances. Possessions belonging to ex-Network 10 presenter Jesse Baird, 26, and Luke Davies, 29, were found on Wednesday in a bin in a suburb of the city. Police are seeking a man identified by local media as a police officer who once dated Mr Baird to aid inquiries. But the force told the BBC it could not confirm the person's identity. On Thursday night officers obtained a warrant to search a home in the Balmain area of Sydney. Police said they seized a number of items. In a statement, New South Wales Police Force said: "Detectives are looking at a line of inquiry that a third person may be able to assist with the investigation. "Police are currently trying to locate him." Officers found blood and moved furniture at Mr Baird's home in the Paddington area, around 28km (17 miles) from Cronulla, the suburb where a worker found the couple's belongings in a bin. Blood-stained clothes, a phone and credit cards were among the items found. Police believe the couple were in Paddington on Monday. CCTV footage obtained by 7NewsAustralia shows what it says appears to be the couple going into Mr Baird's flatshare. CCTV footage showing a white van in the area was also being looked at by police, the news outlet said. Qantas flight attendant Mr Davies has not been in contact with his family or attended work since Monday, according to police. Det Supt Jodi Radmore said all lines of inquiry were being investigated and told reporters: "We do believe, from the crime scene at Paddington and from property located at Cronulla, that there has been some sort of incident." She added that had given the force "great concerns for one, possibly both their safety". "Witnesses described a verbal argument," she continued, "but it wasn't reported to police at the time ... it was only reported to police yesterday [Monday morning] during canvassing." New South Wales Police are appealing for information. Mr Baird had been a presenter and red carpet reporter on Network 10's morning show Studio 10 until the show was axed in December. Qantas said it was providing support to Mr Davies' colleagues. "Our thoughts are with family, friends and colleagues of our crew member at this very difficult time," the airline said in a statement. Jesse Baird (right) had presented on Network 10's morning show Studio 10 Link

voted

Accepted! T/C.

Nick movie: Meet the Robinsons Time: March 25, 2007 Netflix / Amazon / HBO: N/A Duration of the movie: 95 M Trailer:

Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola has apologised to Kalvin Phillips for saying the midfielder was "overweight" on his return from the Qatar World Cup. Guardiola made the comments in December 2022, explaining why Phillips had been left out of his squad for a Carabao Cup fourth round tie against Liverpool. Phillips admitted the comments were "a big knock to my confidence" when asked about them earlier this month. "I'm sorry," said Guardiola. "I do apologise to him. I'm so sorry." Guardiola said he spoke to the 28-year-old, who joined West Ham on loan last month, about the issue when he returned from a short break immediately after the World Cup. "I did speak about that," added the City boss. "I never before said something here [to the media] without speaking to the player." Phillips has endured a difficult start to his loan spell at West Ham. The former Leeds midfielder gifted Bournemouth a goal with his first touch for the club in a 1-1 draw at London Stadium on 1 February, was responsible for conceding another in a 3-0 defeat at Manchester United three days later and on Saturday at Nottingham Forest was sent off for two bookable offences within three minutes of each other as the Hammers were beaten 2-0. Link

VW’s plush family car is here, boasts a big boot and 282bhp e-motor drivetrain This is the new Volkswagen ID.7 Tourer, and the headline numbers are 605 and 1,714. These are not, sadly, its performance in horsepowers (paging the ID.7 GTX) but instead the plush new estate’s load carrying abilities with the rear seats up and with them folded down. Wait, come back! Admittedly boot space is hardly the most exciting metric, but it’s the most important one for a car built entirely to allow a “very high load capacity”. In 2024’s SUV-heavy marketplace, feels a bit retro to welcome a new, practical, big-booted (electric) estate. It joins a growing list of e-estates, of course, and while the load space isn’t quite up there with the traditional Mercedes-Benz E-Class – barring a Tardis, not much is, to be fair – those figures are still impressive. Stick on the optional roof box and you get an additional 460-litres of space, and VW tells us the new ID.7 Tourer offers a near two-metre-long load area when fully deployed. Good times. Plenty of power to deploy, too. The ID.7 Tourer shares everything with the saloon, including its 282bhp, rear-wheel-drive powertrain. Two variants will be available on launch, the Tourer Pro and Pro S. Both get the same ‘APP550’ e-drive system, but the former makes do with an 82kWh battery (77kWh net), while the Pro S will get a 91kWh (86kWh net) battery. That car, says VW, gets a claimed range of 426 miles. Charging? The 77kWh battery can go from 10-80 per cent in 28 minutes on a fast charge, the bigger battery “in significantly less than 30 minutes”. Enough time to admire the elongated silhouette. Barring the big new boot, the Tourer’s dimensions are exactly the same as the ID.7 saloon. Same face, of course, rising up through the ID.7’s aero-honed body to the taller, upright rear. A good, clean design. The same mixed-bag interior, however. Carrying over the ID.7 saloon’s hard points means carrying over the ID.7 saloon’s interior. There’s the same massive 15in free-standing touchscreen (click here to find out what it’s like in the saloon), though the Tourer gets an upgraded augmented reality head-up display. And by ‘upgraded’, VW says you can now get Apple CarPlay or Android Auto nav directions integrated into this HUD, while the “appearance of AR functions has been significantly upgraded”. There’s ChatGPT onboard, the IDA voice assistant, a ‘Wellness’ app, and of course a plethora of driver assists. “The new ID.7 Tourer perfectly rounds off our offering in the upper mid-sized class,” said VW board member of management Imelda Labbé. “It is particularly attractive for frequent drivers and business customers thanks to its generous space and long ranges.” What’ll be even more attractive? An ID.7 Tourer GTX… Link

The animal’s mother has made a full recovery but has shown no interest in her newborn, zoo officials said. Jameela. A baby gorilla was delivered early via an emergency cesarean section at the Forth Worth Zoo last month after her mother faced "life-threatening complications," the zoo announced. The baby — named Jameela, which means "beautiful" in Swahili — weighed just 3 pounds and 1 ounce when she was born four to six weeks early Jan. 5, the Fort Worth Zoo said in a series of Facebook updates. Her mom has made a full recovery. The zoo said the animal's mom, Sekani, was showing signs of preeclampsia, which it described as "a serious blood-pressure condition that can occur during pregnancy in both humans and primates." After zoo staff and veterinarians consulted with human experts, including a local obstetrician and neonatologist, the team decided the emergency C-section would give both Jameela and Sekani the greatest chance at life. "Primates are humans’ closest living relatives in the animal kingdom with many biological similarities," the zoo said on Facebook. "Our veterinary team has consulted with physicians for humans in the past to seek advice on particular cases involving primates." The zoo said it worked with Dr. Jamie Walker Erwin, a doctor board-certified in obstetrics and gynecology who has consulted for the zoo for years. Erwin; Dr. Robert Ursprung, a neonatologist; Dennis Occkiogrosso, a certified registered nurse anesthetist; and other "supporting experts" helped safely deliver Jameela and provide care. "Taking part in delivering Sekani’s infant via cesarean section was one of the highlights of my entire career as an OB-GYN," Erwin said, according to the zoo. "It is an honor and privilege to assist with care for this endangered species." Erwin added that she was "amazed at how Sekani’s anatomy matched that of my human patients." Jameela is the third gorilla to be born at the Fort Worth Zoo in its 115-year history and the first born by C-section, the zoo said. She is 33-year-old Sekani's fourth baby. Prior to the emergency C-section, the zoo said Sekani was having a normal pregnancy and was expected to deliver in early to mid- February. But on Jan. 3, zookeepers observed odd behavior from Sekani. The zoo said she was "moving slowly and holding her head, as if she had a headache," leading doctors to the preeclampsia diagnosis. Just after she was brought into the world, Jameela "required immediate intervention," the zoo said, including "resuscitation and stabilization, respiratory support, radiographs, and serial examinations of the premature gorilla." On Facebook, the zoo said Jameela is already up to 5 pounds, which is in part thanks to the around-the-clock team at the Fort Worth Zoo who feed her at all hours. Though Jameela is growing, Sekani is showing no signs of interest in being a mother, according to the zoo. "Despite repeated attempts to reunite the mother and baby, Sekani showed little interest in caring for her baby," the zoo said. The zoo added that it is "hard to determine" exactly why Sekani is behaving this way, but experts have guessed that she "never experienced the necessary hormonal cues that come during natural and full-term birth, therefore resulting in disinterest in the baby." After two weeks of attempts to reunite the mother and daughter, zookeepers shifted focus to another gorilla, 24-year-old Gracie, who they hope will serve as a surrogate for Jameela. "Observing our staff and their continuous commitment to this baby and the subsequent surrogacy journey is a testament to their dedication to the animals in their care," said Michael Fouraker, executive director of the Fort Worth Zoo. "It’s been incredibly inspiring to witness and we are all hopeful that we can continue to watch this little one grow." Link

Nikki Haley criticized her GOP presidential rival for refusing to condemn Russian President Vladimir Putin following Navalny’s death. Donald Trump at a campaign rally in Waterford Township, Mich., on Saturday. Former President Donald Trump on Monday compared the sudden death of Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny in a prison colony to the legal peril he faces in the U.S., elevating a talking point in some right-wing circles linking the two in his first comments on Navalny’s death. “The sudden death of Alexei Navalny has made me more and more aware of what is happening in our Country,” Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform. “It is a slow, steady progression, with CROOKED, Radical Left Politicians, Prosecutors, and Judges leading us down a path to destruction. Open Borders, Rigged Elections, and Grossly Unfair Courtroom Decisions are DESTROYING AMERICA. WE ARE A NATION IN DECLINE, A FAILING NATION! MAGA2024.” Trump's comments followed a judge who presided over a civil business fraud trial against the former president on Friday ordering him, his sons, business associates and his company to pay more than $350 million in damages. Trump also faces criminal liability in four separate jurisdictions after being charged for his effort to overturn the 2020 election, handling of classified documents and alleged hush payments to women. Nikki Haley, Trump’s former ambassador to the U.N. and lone remaining major candidate facing him in the GOP presidential primary, condemned Trump’s response to Navalny’s death. Haley criticized Trump repeatedly over the weekend for not mentioning Navalny’s death, which was reported Friday, and for recent comments in which Trump said he once told NATO allies he would “encourage” Russia to “do whatever the hell they want” if those allies did not increase their defense spending. “Donald Trump could have condemned [Russian President] Vladimir Putin for being a murderous thug,” Haley tweeted. “Trump could have praised Navalny’s courage. Instead, he stole a page from liberals’ playbook, denouncing America and comparing our country to Russia.” Navalny’s death, which was announced by Russia’s prison service, followed his surviving several poisoning attempts, including one in 2020 in which he was poisoned with a military nerve agent during a business trip to Russia. Navalny, who crusaded for years on exposing corruption in Putin’s government, blamed the poisoning attempt on the Russian president. The Kremlin has denied involvement in the poisoning attempts and dismissed suggestions Putin was behind Navalny's death. The Russian opposition leader, who spent his final years imprisoned, was 47. His death drew widespread condemnation from international leaders, including from President Joe Biden, who said he was “both not surprised and outraged.” As president, Trump described Navalny’s poisoning as “tragic” and “terrible,” something that “shouldn’t happen.” “We haven’t had any proof yet, but I will take a look,” he said at a Sept. 4, 2020, press briefing. Asked who was responsible two weeks later, Trump said: “We’ll talk about that another time.” Trump’s post echoed right-wing allies who have linked the former president and the Russia dissident in recent days. “Navalnys death in prison is a brutal reminder that jailing your political opponents is inhumane and a violation of every principle of a free society,” former House Speaker Newt Gingrich posted on X, formerly known as Twitter. “Watch the Biden Administration speak out against Putin and his jailing of his leading political opponent while Democrats in four different jurisdictions try to turn President Trump into an American Navalny.” “Navalny=Trump,” the right-wing activist Dinesh D’Souza posted. “The plan of the Biden regime and the Democrats is to ensure their leading political opponent dies in prison. There’s no real difference between the two cases.” Last year, the U.S. State Department called the most recent “extremism” charges Navalny faced “unfounded,” while the United Nations said the 19-year sentence handed down as a result of them “raises further concerns about judicial harassment & political instrumentalization of the courts and comes amid an increasingly repressive crackdown on freedom of expression and political opposition.” Link

Alexei Navalny's widow Yulia has vowed to continue his work to fight for a "free Russia" in a video posted on Monday. Her voice sometimes shaking with grief and anger, Ms Navalnaya asked viewers to stand alongside her and "share the fury and hate for those who dared to kill our future". She also accused the authorities of hiding her husband's body. Navalny's death in prison was announced on 16 February. The prison authorities at the Siberian penal colony he was being held in said he collapsed following a walk and never regained consciousness. Navalny's body has not yet been released to his family, despite his mother and lawyer travelling to the remote penal colony where he was being held as soon as news of his death broke. Attempts to locate the body have repeatedly been shut down by the prison mortuary and local authorities. On Monday, the Kremlin said an investigation into Navalny's death was ongoing and that there were "no results" as of yet. Later, Navalny's spokewoman Kira Yarmysh said that investigators told Navalny's mother they would not hand over the body for two weeks while they conduct a "chemical analysis". In her video message, Ms Navalnaya said she believed the authorities were waiting for traces of the deadly nerve agent Novichok to disappear from Navalny's body. Navalny, who was the Russian opposition's most significant leader for the last decade, had been serving a 19-year sentence on charges many viewed as politically motivated. Now, Ms Navalnaya - who previously mostly shied away from the spotlight - indicated she might be ready to continue her husband's political fight for change in Russia. "Three days ago, Vladimir Putin killed my husband Alexei Navalny. Putin killed the father of my children. Putin took away the most important thing I had. The person who was closest to me and whom I loved most," she said in her video message. She promised to "continue to fight for our country" and added: "We need to use every opportunity - to fight against the war, against corruption, against injustice. To fight for fair elections and freedom of speech. To fight to take our country back. Russia - free, peaceful, happy - the beautiful Russia of the future, of which my husband dreamed so much." In the video, Ms Navalnaya also said she knew "exactly why Putin killed Alexei three days ago" and promised to release the information "soon". Makeshift memorials to Alexei Navalny have appeared across Europe Western leaders have put the blame for Navalny's death squarely on President Putin. Responding to questions from reporters on Monday, President Joe Biden said: "The fact of the matter is: Putin is responsible, whether he ordered it or he is responsible for the circumstances he put that man in. And... it's a reflection of who he is. And it just cannot be tolerated." During a press conference on Monday, EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said he believed her husband "was slowly murdered in a Russian jail by Putin's regime". Both the EU and the US have said they are considering new sanctions on Russia following Navalny's death. Germany, Sweden, Finland, Norway and France said they were summoning the Russian ambassadors in their capitals. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said comments by Western politicians in regards to Navalny's death were "arrogant" and "unacceptable". Russian prison authorities said at the weekend that Navalny had suffered "sudden death syndrome". Hundreds of people in more than 30 cities across Russia were detained at the weekend for attending makeshift memorials to Navalny. In Moscow, 20 people were sentenced to various amounts of prison time - ranging from one day to nine days - and two people were fined 10,000 rubles (£85). n. Link

voted

yes @7aMoDi??

Video title: UNUSUAL MEMES COMPILATION V252 Content creator ( Youtuber ) :UnusualVideos Official YT video:

Shane Rose won silver in the team event at the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo Australian three-time Olympic medallist Shane Rose has been stood down from competition for wearing a mankini during a show jumping event. Equestrian Australia said "concerns were raised" about the 50-year-old's "attire" during the event at Wallaby Hill near Sydney last weekend. The governing body said it "has an obligation to address these concerns and is currently reviewing the matter". Riders were encouraged to wear fancy dress at the event. Paris 2024 hopeful Rose wore three costumes - a fluorescent orange mankini, a gorilla costume and a Duffman outfit from the Simpsons. He wrote on Facebook: "If my costume offended anyone, I am truly sorry as this was never my intention." Rose also said he hoped the incident would not affect his Olympic preparation. He later deleted the post to de-escalate the issue. Rose, who won team eventing silver at the 2008 and 2020 Olympics and bronze at 2016, told the Sydney Morning Herald, external he wanted the situation resolved quickly. "With a bit of luck this will all be a bit of a laugh in a few days and we can all move on," he said. "I wore a costume which you could see at a theme park or a beach. Potentially no-one has done it on [a] horse, but there you go. "I think I am a good person and I do a lot for the sport, and for people in different situations. I don't feel like I have done anything particularly bad. "In hindsight, I should have re-thought what I did, but at the time I thought it was just a bit of fun." Equestrian Australia chief executive Darren Gocher said the complaint was made about how Rose was dressed and that there were children at the event. "Whether it is one [complaint] or 1,000, we have an obligation to review it," he said. In a statement Equestrian Australia said Rose was bound by the High Performance and Equestrian Australia Codes of Conduct and Athlete Agreement and it expects a resolution this week. "To be clear, Shane has not been suspended or sanctioned," it said. "As is usual in these circumstances for all high performance athletes, he has been stood down from competition for several days while the review is carried out. "This does not affect his ability to train or otherwise participate in the sport. Equestrian Australia has also encouraged Shane to provide an account of the events if he wishes to do so." Several Olympic equestrian competitors have accused Equestrian Australia of over-reacting. Link

For the first time ever, McLaren will race in all three of the ‘Triple Crown’ races in the same year, which of course includes that famous French one... McLaren has revealed its all-new 720S GT3 Evo for the 2024 FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC), and in news that'll surprise nobody, it looks... quite brilliant. Sporting McLaren’s now customary black and orange-themed livery, the 720S GT3 adopts a massive air intake up front on either side of a set of stretched canards. More bulbous arches also curve atop the new Good Years, which replace last season’s Pirelli’s. The team's pair of competition cars will run the numbers ‘59’ and ‘95’ to signal McLaren’s Le Mans win in 1995 with the F1 GTR. Very cool. Aside from the selection of huge bumpers and splitters - which are noticeably more aggressive than its predecessor - the rear wing is also wider with lower overhangs, and looks like it could shield you from a category-five hurricane. No word on upgrades to the M840T 4.0-litre twin-turbo V8 just yet, but our best guess sits between 550 and 600bhp. Remember, most of these GT3 cars focus on aerodynamic trickery over outright brute force to achieve their best times, so we expect McLaren’s exterior enhancements alone would shave a second or two off previous track times. Richard Dean, CEO of United Autosports, which is one of McLaren’s new partners for the upcoming campaign, said: “The design has racing heritage at its core, harking back to the 1995 Le Mans winner, while being - unmistakably - part of the current McLaren family. It’s an exciting addition to the 2024 McLaren line-up, complementing the Formula 1, IndyCar and Formula E designs; they look like winning cars, and we have big ambitions.” Speaking of which, this will also be the first time McLaren competes in all three of motorsport’s ‘Triple Crown’ races in the same year, having won each of the three events individually in the past. The WEC season begins on 2 March in Qatar and will see McLaren’s six-driver lineup take in eight races, including Le Mans, a race which McLaren hasn't raced in since 1997. Game on... Link

The animal will also be tested for rabies after the incidents at an Arlington park. Arlington Animal Services on Thursday morning captured a coyote believed to be responsible for biting three children in separate incidents. A coyote that Texas officials think bit three children at a park is set to be "humanely euthanized," leaders in Arlington said Thursday. Arlington Animal Services captured the coyote Thursday morning after the bites at Parkway Central Park in north Arlington, a city between Dallas and Fort Worth. The animal will be tested for rabies at the Texas Health and Human Services in Austin, the city said on X. An animal control officer and a police officer were at the park because of “aggressive coyote activity at the park” when they captured the animal, according to the city. The officers said they saw the coyote on a road near the park before it charged at them, the city said in a statement. “This animal was completely unusual because … it started walking toward me. I’ve never seen a coyote do that,” Arlington Police Sgt. Eric Belisle told NBC Dallas-Fort Worth. Typically, coyotes “spot you and they get out of the area quickly. This animal was completely different.” The park will remain closed until further notice, the city said, adding that it will partner with the U.S. Agriculture Department’s Animal & Plant Health Inspection Wildlife Services "to evaluate and determine next steps." The three children were bitten from Saturday to Tuesday at the park on the playground or in the parking lot, the city said in a release Wednesday. All were treated and released from the hospital. They will also get post-exposure rabies treatment, the city said. After the first child was bitten Saturday, Arlington Animal Services set a trap and began to search for the animal, according to the city. The city decided to close the park Tuesday, prompting animal services to set more traps and enact patrols after news that a second child had been bitten came to light, the city said. Later, the city learned that the third child was bitten Monday, the release said. Link